Monday’s quote has been poking at me all week.
We can accomplish a lot when nobody cares who gets the credit.
The next question, if you ponder a bit, becomes, “What exactly are we trying to accomplish?”
I’ve been aware recently of how easy it is to be captured by the lure of other people’s scoreboards, until we’re seduced into competing in a game we never signed up for.
An obvious example – I probably receive 3-4 emails per day explaining how I could ramp up our fundraising. Clearly, I’m falling behind in the fundraising game.
Raising funds for the kids at the Home of Hope is important. The folks who operate the home count on our financial support to do their important work. But I’ve repeated again and again – fundraising is NOT the primary purpose of the FREEDOM TOUR.
We are, first and foremost, about bringing together a community around these kids. COMMUNITY is what we are attempting to accomplish.
We believe Jesus knows the financial needs of our kids, and we trust him to use our efforts in ways we don’t understand to accomplish those needs.
Since 2013, this remarkable community has donated more than $1,000,000 to support our kids. Not because we’re effective fundraisers, but because we’ve done our best to bring people together, help them understand our kids’ circumstances and needs – and then trust Jesus for the outcome.
The very worst thing we could do is begin competing on the fundraising scoreboard, because the FREEDOM TOUR isn’t, and doesn’t want to be, a dollars-focused enterprise. In fact, what we do is a fairly INEFFICIENT way to raise funds.
But… it is a good way to bring people together, create friendships, and slowly spread the word about our kids. THAT’S what we’re trying to accomplish.
We can do it well when nobody cares who gets credit – except Jesus.
+ + +
People join us in lots of ways. They volunteer, cycle, walk… and donate.